Electrical connector



Dec. 5, 1950 s. E. KANE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 29, 1949 INVENTOR. STANLEYf. Kq/v.

BY Z

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTQR StanleyE. Kane, 'Pittsburgh,-l"a., assignor to Mosebach Electric & Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 29, 1949,'Serial No. 90,345 i 2 class. .(Cl. 290-115;) 1 f My invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to those of the feeder tap type such as are employed in temporarily tapping trolley wires or other electrical conductors, for the utilization of electrical current for motors, welding apparatus, etc.- The connector as herein described is of the fuse type such as that shown in my co-pe'nding application Serial No. 81,091, filed March 12, 1949, now abandoned.

One object of my present invention is to provide a fused feeder tap that can readily be placed into gripping or clamping engagement with an electrical conductor, simply by a twist of 'the operator's hand in which the connector is held.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connector of the type referred to which can be used on trolley wires that have grooves to which suspending hangers are connected, without interfering with the normal operation of trolley cars.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line III1II of Fi 1.

As here shown, the connector is employed to tap current from a trolley wire 4 of the form which has grooves in its sides for use in suspending it from hangers. The connector comprises a tubular body or case 5 of molded insulating material, partly closed at one end by a bushing 6. At its other end, the case contains a threaded bushing anchored therein by screw-threaded studs 8. A collar 9 is firmly pressed on to the casing 5 and serves as a safety abutment to prevent a workmans hand from slipping off of the body 5 into engagement with exposed conductor members. A plug H is threaded into the bush ing 1 and has a socket portion l2 for a metal cap of a fuse I3.

At the other end of the case 5, there is a terminal block M to which wires l5 of a cable l6 are connected by a clamping block I1 and a nut l8 which has screw-threaded engagement with a stud l9 that is fixedly mounted in the block It. The block has a socket 20 to receive the other end of the fuse I3. The fuse cartridge caps have threaded studs 2| and 22 for connection to the block l4 and the plug II respectively. The parts as thus far described are similar in structure to the disclosure of my said application.

The plug II has a shank portion 23 which is welded or otherwise secured thereto and which is flattened for a portion of its length as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. A collar 24 is slidable on the said flattened portion but can be secured against movement thereon by set screws 25. collar 24 has lugs or ears-'26 that are engageable.

clutch device.

The shank portion 23. of; the plug is internally threaded for; engagement ,with '5. the stem of .a:

hook 2! that can be placed over a trolley wire or other conductor for temporary withdrawal of current therefrom. The shank 23 has an external thread 28 of wide pitch, for engagement by a collar 29 that has a radial extension 3| which serves as a clamping arm or plate for engagement with the trolley wire 4 when the collar 29 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. A second collar 32 is rotatably supported on the shank 23 and has a clamping arm or plate 33 to grip the other side of the wire 4. A stud 34 is threaded into the clamping member 33 and extends loosely into and through the clamping member 3|.

When the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1, the operator, holding the fuse casing 5 in one hand, with the clamping member 33 somewhat snugly against the wire 4, will turn his hand to rotate the casing 5 and thereby cause the collar 29 and the clamping member 3| to move to their dotted line positions and thereby grip the wire 4. The stem 23 freely rotates in the member 33 at this time. This rotative movement of the casing rotates the plug so that its threaded portion 28 moves the clamping member 3| outwardly, the stud 34 serving to hold the clamping member and its collar 29 against rotation during this turning movement. Ordinarily, the clamping members 3| and 33 need not be opened so widely as in Fig. l, and about a onehalf turn of the fuse casing will be sufficient to effect a wire clamping operation.

If the member 3| instead of the member 33 is first placed against the wire and held there with sufficient force to prevent rotation, a like gripping action will be had through turnin of the case 5.

When it is necessary to replace a fuse, the casing will be turned to move the collar 29 a little farther forwardly than shown in Fig. 1, to clear the collar 24. Thereupon, the screws 25 will. be loosened to permit forward sliding of the collar 24 on the flattened portion of the shank 23 to disengage the studs 26 from the notches in the bushing 1. Thereupon, the plug H can be unscrewed from the bushing 1 and removed from the casing, together with the cartridge and the terminal block M, the cable I6 being slidable the innerend of prbie'etingiwat g member rotatably 1c rled "by the shank second clamping member-"carried by the shankand threaded .thereominrpositimntw be; tbwardi or trem the-other clampingumember; when the casing andithe plug are rotated as" Unitiarid thecfampingimemhersareehelliagain rotation-and: means forfrel'easabiw locking thagplug -against rotative movement relative to the casing, duning'irotati'on entire casing .toroperatath ciampingr-members,

le st'-.refined";v11112211251:com :ismg; at; clutch coitremovable c1osure this other end 4 lar non-rotatable on the shank and slidabie thereon into and out of locking engagement with the clutch element on the end of the case, whereby the casing can be unscrewed from the plug without operating the clamping members.

2. A connector as recited in the preceding claim, wherein one of the clamping members can befiield. against" notation with the: shank? by engagement of thememb'er' with a troiiey conductor or the like, and there is a stud fixedly carried by one of the clamping members and havingeloosetelescopic engagement with the other clamping member, to hold .it against rotation with the. shank. 1

STANLEY E. KANE.

BEEERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this'patent:

UNITED. STATES. PATENTS 

